FAA says there could be delay in Boeing 737 Max software fix

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday said that it could be up to a year before Boeing’s 737 Max jets are cleared once again for commercial flights.

At a press conference, FAA chief Daniel Elwell said that his agency could take up to a year to recertify the jets after Boeing pushed out a software update addressing sensor issues believed to be at fault behind two deadly crashes involving the jets in six months’ time.

{mosads}”If you said October I wouldn’t even say that, only because we haven’t finished determining exactly what the training requirements will be,” Elwell said, according to the BBC.

“If it takes a year to find everything we need to give us the confidence to lift the [grounding] order so be it,” he added.

His comments came as representatives from dozens of nations met in Fort Worth, Texas, to discuss aviation regulations around the globe including the grounding of the 737 Max jet line.

Elwell told reporters that he hoped Thursday’s meetings would restore confidence in the FAA among regulators around the world.

“If there is a crisis in confidence, we hope this will help to show the world that the world still talks together about aviation safety issues,” said Elwell, according to Bloomberg.

Boeing announced earlier this month that a software update for its 737 Max jets would be rolled out free of charge alongside training for pilots to address issues leading to the plane’s grounding by every aviation agency in the world.

“With safety as our clear priority, we have completed all of the engineering test flights for the software update and are preparing for the final certification flight,” CEO Dennis Muilenburg said in early May.

“We’re committed to providing the FAA and global regulators all the information they need, and to getting it right. We’re making clear and steady progress and are confident that the 737 Max with updated MCAS software will be one of the safest airplanes ever to fly,” he added at the time.